How Did Babe Ruth Get His Iconic ‘Babe’ Nickname?

Babe Ruth is a part of every American household. By every stretch of the imagination, Babe Ruth is as much a part of the cultural tapestry as any other American hero. And yet the name he is known by is only for show. George Herman Ruth, as he was known prior to his baseball christening, was a very different person. And, the story of how George Herman Ruth became Babe Ruth is almost as intriguing as his career after.

Ruth had an interesting emergence into the sport. Starting out with the Red Sox where he excelled as a 2-way player, Ruth eventually found his way to the Bronx where he became an icon of the sport.

Babe Ruth was as synonymous with the Yankees as blue to the sky and his hits still ring through the ballpark. The nature of his greatness is perhaps best captured by his records, some of which still stand unbroken in 2022. Regarded by several as the greatest to ever play the game skill-wise, Ruth also had a personality.

Babe Ruth was one of the chattiest in the game and was easily one of the most interesting batters to grace the home plate. His called shots, constant trash talk, and bamboozling hits still serve as the benchmark for performance. And yet why would someone so superlative go by such an unthreatening nickname? Why “Babe” Ruth?

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The early life of Babe Ruth

Starting out his young life in Baltimore, George Ruth was known as a mischief-maker. Notably, he would often be spotted getting into trouble at the docks. Ruth was even reprimanded for taunting the police at the dockyards. The boy was getting a bit out of hand, and his parents decided to get him some discipline. They sent George to a Catholic orphanage, St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, to straighten him out.

This set Ruth on a path. Over the next 12 years, Ruth was guided by a monk named Brother Mathias, who first introduced him to the game of baseball. By the time he was 15, Ruth began to excel at baseball, both as a pitcher and a hitter.

The origins behind the name

So prodigious was his talent on the diamond that he caught the eye of a certain Jack Dun. The same Jack Dunn that owned the Baltimore Orioles (a minor league franchise at the time) and scouted talent for the Boston Red Sox.

At age 19, Ruth decided that he wanted to turn professional. However, the law back then required that a guardian sign off on his contract before he could start playing. Dunn then became Ruth’s legal guardian for the year. His roster-mates jokingly called him “Dunn’s new babe,” which eventually led to the nickname “Babe” Ruth.

Babe Ruth then went on to develop in the majors before leading the Red Sox to 3 World Series wins in 5 years. He would then move to the Yankees, where he would go on to dominate the sport; and set unreal records for the years to come.

The Bambino is certainly one of the most cherished figures in baseball and he deserves all the recognition in the world. Especially for his moniker.